Show Notes
When Dr Bruce Fogle arrived in London from Canada for a short placement as a veterinarian at ZSL, he had no idea his life was about to take an unexpected turn - all because of a dog named Honey.
In this episode of Wildest Moments, host Ben Fogle speaks with his father, renowned veterinarian and author Dr Bruce Fogle, about how the golden retriever led him to his wife, actress Julia Foster. Decades later, history repeated itself when Ben met his own wife, Marina, after their dogs struck up a friendship in the park – it's a remarkable story of two generations brought together through animals.
Joining the conversation is ZSL's Head of Wildlife Health Services, Dr Amanda Guthrie. Together they reveal the incredible varied life of a zoo vet – caring for everything from tiny snails to giant elephants – and discuss the vital role zoos have and continue to play in protecting both wildlife and human health around the world.
From family history to global conservation, this episode is a celebration of the extraordinary bond between people and animals - and the unexpected ways those connections can shape our lives.
About Wildest Moments: Hosted by Ben Fogle and created in partnership with Mountain Warehouse, Wildest Moments is a podcast from ZSL (Zoological Society of London) exploring the surprising, emotional and transformative encounters people have had with wildlife. New episodes are released on the third Thursday of every month. Launched as part of ZSL's 200th anniversary, the series celebrates over two centuries of inspiring closer connections between people and the natural world.
Executive Producers - Rami Tzabar, Jane Gerber and Katie Derham
Senior Producer - Naomi Oiku
Production Supervisor - Mia Xerri Mondragon
ZSL editorial leads: Tina Campanella and Rebecca Blanchard
Sound Design and Additional Editing - Nada Smiljanić
Sound Engineer - Jon Last
Video Editor - Carla Mercer
Cover Art - Will Rose
Recorded at TYX Studios, London.
More from ZSL's Wildest Moments
For Wuikinuxv First Nation councillor and environmental researcher Jennifer Walkus, living alongside grizzly bears is a way of life shaped by respect, knowledge and coexistence.
For Sunday Times bestselling author Chloe Dalton, a chance encounter with a tiny, orphaned leveret on a quiet country lane became a life-changing experience - one that would reshape how she saw the natural world.
For wildlife filmmaker Nigel Marven, seeing an Arabian oryx in the wild was a moment he never thought he'd experience - a species he had only ever seen in books as a child, once declared extinct in the wild.
For actress and Disney's The Lion King alumni Merryl Ansah, stepping into the role of Nala meant embodying one of the most iconic screen lions in history, but she'd never seen one in real life – until the night she spent at London Zoo.
Under starlit skies and glowing bioluminescence, Megan McCubbin found herself face to face with one of the ocean's most misunderstood predators - sharks.